Pneumonia and diarrhoea account for 25% of under-5 deaths globally, an estimated 1.5 million children. The 15 countries profiled in a recent report by John Hopkins University hold the burden for 70% of these deaths.

The study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that was published on Friday found that India has improved the most in terms of prevention and control of pneumonia and diarrhoea.

The countries with the largest number of pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths in children under-5 were analysed in this progress report. The 15 countries profiled in this report are disproportionately responsible for global child deaths from pneumonia and diarrhoea; they account for 55% of the world’s under-5 population, but they are home to approximately 70% of the world’s childhood diarrhoea and pneumonia deaths.

The report also highlights the efforts by government through Mission Indradhanush, a vaccination programme that was launched in December 2014 that helped India expand the breadth and reach of India’s Universal Immunization Program.

The report also highlights that scaling up coverage of vaccination programs targeting pneumonia and diarrhoea, India could save over US$ 1 billion each year in economic benefits and avert more than 90,000 needless child deaths each year.